“The new geopolitics of energy: winners and losers” (Friends of Europe)

“The new geopolitics of energy: winners and losers”

Brussels, July 2ndThis event is exclusively for Friends of Europe’s members, EU institution representatives and media. For more information, please visit the Friends of Europe website.
This high-level conference will discuss the changing world energy landscape and market balances in the context of the Middle East turmoil, the Ukraine conflict and the emergence of North America as a major energy producer. It will focus on the implications of these trends on the global energy mix, energy diplomacy, security of supply and energy prices and will evaluate who are the winners and losers. It will be held in the wake of the OPEC and G7 meetings in June.
The event is part of our Greener Europe pillar, which focuses on global and EU policies needed to foster a sustainable economy that reconciles economic growth with environmental responsibility. The topics it covers range from the global debate on climate change and the creation of an energy union to sustainable mobility, agriculture and rural development and resource governance. Our 2015 initiatives include the publication of our Climate-Energy-Industry Working Group report “Europe’s energy union and the road to Paris and beyond: Towards an EU model reconciling climate, energy security and competitiveness needs”, a series of short analyses and infographics of the INDCs submitted by key global players, and our annual Climate and Energy Summit (date tbc), that will discuss the main challenges ahead for global leaders in view of ensuring affordable and secure energy while reducing CO2 emissions.
Programme

08.30 – 09.00 Welcome coffee and registration of participants
09.00 - 10.30 - Session I - A global energy landscape in turmoil
10.30 – 11.00 Coffee break
11.00 - 12.30 - Session II - The shifts in geo-strategic power balances
12.30 End of the conference
Marietje Schaake will speak in Session II
The emergence of North America as a major energy producer, declining oil prices and the EU’s worsening relations with Russia have triggered a sea change in global energy diplomacy and market balances. America’s looming energy self-sufficiency has flooded the market with shale oil also promises to revolutionise the LNG trade. Russia, long accused of using energy resources as a political weapon, is turning to new strategic partners in Asia, while Europe hopes to diversify its energy supply portfolio thanks to US and Norwegian LNG imports. What are the prospects for a transatlantic energy alliance and could Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations open a new chapter in US-EU energy relations? Why is OPEC allowing the market to determine oil prices and how does it affect the geopolitical scene and energy markets? Which countries and regions are the winners and losers? What does the oil price drop, combined with Western sanctions, mean for Russia? Will the expansion of LNG trade alter the current rules of the game, bring an end to today’s pipeline politics, and lead to the creation of a ‘gas OPEC’? How might the geopolitical panorama be transformed if the shale energy revolution spreads to other parts of the world?
Amos J. Hochstein * / US Special Envoy and Coordinator for International Energy Affairs
John Knight / Executive Vice President of Strategy at Statoil
Friedbert Pflüger / Director of the European Centre of Energy and Resource Security (EUCERS) at King’s College London, former Chair of Bundestag’s EU Committee and Secretary of State for Defence
Marietje Schaake MEP / Vice-Chair of the European Parliament Delegation for relations with the United States, Member of the Committee on International Trade, and Trustee of Friends of Europe
Helga Maria Schmid * / Deputy Secretary General of the European External Action Service (EEAS) * to be confirmed